


Nora

by orphan_account



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky Barnes Has Issues, F/M, How Do I Tag, I Blame Tumblr, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Protective Steve Rogers, Super Soldier Serum, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:14:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22605337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: There's no summary. Is just Bucky Barnes being a softie for his old friend Nora, who was with him back in Hydra since the very first time and after he rebels, they meet again.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please, please, send love and comment bellow, I don't have no fuckin clue why am I writing this.   
> Also: kroshechnyy goes for "little one" in Russian, for any translation errors, blame Google, I don't even speak english properly.
> 
> P.S.: this fic is somewhere between civil war and infinity war but instead of becoming a popsicle for civil safety, Buck goes out to help Steve with Hydra issues sometimes. Steve also got him a new high-tech prosthetic arm.
> 
> Please enjoy.

"This is definitely **not** good", Steve points as he stops in his tracks. Both him and Bucky went to the rescue of Wanda from one of Hydra's facility back and Germany and now the three of them were face to face with at least two dozens of highly armed men. Right in the middle, the only woman in the squad was casually cracking her knuckles. Cap's shield dancing on her arm. She was covered from head to toe, so they couldn't make out if she was someone known.

Tension running in the air, they kept staring until Wanda grunts and push her hands up, red magic swirling around them. In the first shot, she walked ahead her teammates to survey some protection, heading towards the enemy squad only to stop abruptly as the woman uses the shield to take them down one by one. When finished, she throws it with a certain strength back to Cap and he stands there, mouth agape while she approaches slowly.

"Is she one of ours?" Wanda asked with a crease in her forehead.

"Not that I know but Fury never was a fan of sharing his thoughts, was he?".

Only a short distance separated them when the girl pushed off her helmet along with the tactical mask. Steve jumps at the sound on his side, Bucky let his gun fell to the ground. His eyes were wide open and his breath came out in erratic puffs. Wanda raised a brow as she exchanged a concerned look with Steve.

"I thought you were dead", he finally stutters. The girls smirks and drop her helmet to the ground, kicking to the side with a loud tump. Loads of memories flowing trough his head, making him shiver at the sight of her.

_He came back from an late assignment after a long time away from the compound. His eyes lingered at her the entire time as she played with her teddy bear between her mom's legs. He was in a chair, doing routine exams in his arm after finishing the late mission report. She looked at him and smiled, waving her tiny hands in his direction._

_Later that same night, she broke into his room. A huge grin across her features as she put down her dinner in his small table. Her soft voice humming to the melody of one of The Ink Spots song._

" _You need to stop lockpicking,_ kroshechnyy _", he lectured, sitting down across from her._

_"You tell me that again, and I'll be having this pudding all to myself", she threatened, earning a soft laugh from the soldier. "I wouldn't need to lockpick anything if they stopped locking you up here"._

_The soldier sighed, and shook that sudden sadness off once he tore a piece off of the bread and shoved into his mouth. The girl must've have eight or nine years by now, he saw her birth. Since she started talking, he was her target for everything. Since drawings, to new stuffed animals the other doctors or soldier brought to her. He didn't like much the_ _thought_ _that a little piece of sunshine like her had grown without knowing what was to attend school, play in the park or having friends of her age. But he was gratefull for the special fondness she had over him. She would slide into his room when she had nightmares, or just couldn't sleep, she always shared her meals with him for not being able to finish all herself._

_Nora was an exceptional kid. Great hability on learning every single thing they taught her. At some point, she was tested after her "natural" enhancement. She was daughter of the only woman used in the Winter Soldier project, born unnaturally by lab breeding, she was injected with the serum even before her body was formed._

_The times for her training came, they made sure to hurt her as much as they hurt him, and that killed him. She would be spared with him for fights to unconsciousness or until one of them were too weak to continue. She was good, strong, her small body was useful in a lot of ways, but mostly to scape from bigger enemies like him. They made him hurt her, for her learning. To turn her into the perfect soldier, emotionless and methodic._

_Sadly — for them —, she wasn't like that. She couldn't be tamed or bent to no one's wills. Nora was fierce, bright and strong. Deadly strong. All the torture, the spanking sessions and the confinement never tore apart, never took out her warm personality; her kindness could never be erased. She was just that good._

_After the sessions, she would still sneak into his room at night. Even after he had beaten her up to her unconsciousness, she would always come back to his room and assure him it was alright, that she was still his friend. A deep bond has settled between them. Until he dissapeared. The last time she saw him, she felt a hug wasn't enough to say goodbye, almost as she knew he wouldn't come back. She shoved an old drawging she made him when younger into one of his back pockets and prayed for him to be back soon. When he didn't came back, she was in pieces._

_Knowing she would never be a weapon to them, and knowing too that she was way to smart to get rid off, Nora became a doctor, an apprentice of the scientists. After his disappearance, she didn't felt the necessity to smile ever again._

"I thougt **you** were dead", she objected.

Steve had to get a grip on Wanda's elbow to try and assimilate what was happening, his eyes not believing in the scene right in front of him. The unknown girl spread her arms as his best friend sprinted like a child, throwing himself against her. Both falling on the ground in a tight, emotional embrace. Bucky pressed her head against his neck, caressing the soft hair under his digits. It was her. The smile, the eyes, the smell in her hair. It was her. Bucky felt his eyes water a bit as she let out a faint laugh. He was bigger than before, broader, but also a lot more soft in every other way. He pushed away enough to cup her jaw in his hands, watching all over her features as she lit a smile that made her cheeks ache, tears blooming in the corners of her eyes. He left out a nervous laugh and pushed her again.

"I missed you", he sobbed. Whispering his words, he lowered himself to hug her, her quick heartbeats deafening his ears.

Wanda was not understanding why the normally cold and close-for-human-contact James Barnes was sitting on the ground with a girl between his legs, hugging her like she was about to die right there and with a crying face. Steve cleans his throat, trying to get their attention.

"Anything you might wanna share, buddy?" He asks, a grin spreading all along his face and crossing his arms at chest level.

Bucky collects himself from the ground, offering his hand out to help her get up too. They stand side by side, his hand tightly grasping hers. Steve had a good feeling about all that, even though she was a agent from Hydra. From all he could bring together, the girl belonged to his life at some point. The happiness in his friend's eyes only making that more clear to him.

"I know her since she was a kid." He explains. "She kept me company, even when I was in cryo she would never leave my side."

Steve smiled even more.

"That makes her one of ours?" Wanda asks in low tone only to Steve hear. Bucky approached, his flesh hand tight around the girl's shoulders as she smiled shyly.

"Nora, this is Steve, my former best friend, and Wanda". Nora faked a betrayed frown, a hand to her chest and a scoffy expression loaded in drama.

"I thought **I** was your best friend!", she snorted. "Still, it's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Rogers.

"The pleasure is all mine, Nora".


	2. Chapter II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve notice what nobody else does.

Steve once heard Wanda quote one of her favorite authors over her feelings towards Vision. _"There seemed to be something tragic in a friendship so coloured by romance",_ she read out loud for him. And that would also resume what he felt while watching Bucky with his old roommate. Only three days went by, but he loved to have her sleeping over with them. Wanda helped her shop for normal clothes the very next day, but she kept her Hydra uniform just in case of something bad happened. Bucky had been telling her everything about the 21th century since she grew up blinded to anything besides Hydra's tyranny. Nora loved everything new, she would always observe her surroundings with a curious glimmer in her eyes that made her look like a child seeing the world for the first time. And she actually was, indeed. 

Steve liked the way that after every dinner, she would play some good old songs back from the 40's because she knew that would ease Bucky in a more peaceful night of rest. By matters, it eased him too. She would push them both into the small living room to dance, one at a time, until they were almost breathless; the slow one's was her favorites. He didn't mind waking up to her figure half-sleep-half-awake in their couch, it was funny how her hair was all up and she couldn't barely answer a simple question. She was not a morning person.

By the morning of the fourth day, he woke up a little bit later than usual and headed to the kitchen after a cold shower that helped him get more alert only to find Bucky and Nora giggling in front of the oven. She wore soft pink pajama pants and one of his big henley's because that way she could pretend she was back in the 50's, staying late in his room. Classic piano music was playing softly in his phone, a steady and intense melody as he showed her how to properly flip a pancake on the pan.

"That's it, you got the way now", he said. "Good morning, punk".

"Good morning, Cap", she mimicked, looking over her shoulder and smiling over him.

"Morning".

The day passed slow and calm. Bucky didn't do the usual Steve's routine, so he would only stay at home, reading, cooking, trying to learn more things about this century. Now, with his little friend back, he was even more content on just spending time with her. Back in the damned days, there was times he wouldn't speak, mostly after receiving the shock treatment, but sometimes he just didn't have energy for it. Now, when they weren't chatting about nothing and everything, he enjoyed the confortable silent that rulled between them once in a while.

Normally, he felt thankful for everyone around him, there was spare seconds that more dark thoughts filled his mind, making him feel like he didn't deserve any of this, the place, the friends, his new life. But when Nora would smile at him, he could see that little girl again. Bright eyes and all grins for him, happy to have someone that wouldn't treat her only like an experiment. Nora has been trough so much, he knows it, she told him everything in the first night when both couldn't sleep and she thought Hydra was coming back for their pet. She was scared they might found him too and she didn't want to ruin his life as it was now. She was afraid of hurting him. Little did she know he was better than ever.

The golden light of the sun setting framed her body, she was curled up by the window sill, lost in her book. Every second, different feelings washed over her features whenever she finished a line. Bucky caught himself way to deep in his observation. Feeling his heart hammer against his chest, he suddenly forgot he had to breath and cleared his throat, turning back to his own book.

In nights that both of them couldn't sleep, they would curl up in the couch together, dim yellow light of a lonely lamp casting shadows around them. He liked to lay his head in her lap to listen to her soft and melodic voice as she chanted the words like a storyteller from the fairytales. She always lingered at him when it was his time to do the reading, cuddled into his side with the weight of his prosthetic arm around her shoulders, she felt safe. She didn't dare to fall asleep when it was his turn to read her bedtime stories, even though her eyelids couldn't take no more. Other nights, when they didn't feel like books, she would open the window for the cold air to sneak in trough the curtains, knowing he liked the fresh breeze. And she sang. Lovely slow songs from the old times and the new ones she had learned days ago, brushing her fingers trough his hair until he fall asleep on top of her. Bucky Barnes was just a big baby, and she loved that on him. How he would aloud only her to have this intimacy when no other could do more then hug him for a split second. She liked taking care of him. She always did.

When Steve got home from his day, he needed a moment to absorb the sweet scene in front of him. He lingered at the door frame, silently as he watched Bucky swirl Nora around only to pull her close again. She still didn't get used to dancing, it wasn't something she was good at really, but he made sure to make her as confortable as possible. Taking her feet above his and leading the steps. Their giggles filled the air and the low lights worked their magic, their eyes locked onto each other without missing a blink. Steve didn't want to interrupt them with the subject he had to bring up to his best friend, so he silently made his way to his room and tried to sleep.

The other day, Bucky told him Nora was at the store next to the building, doing daily groceries because she needed to get out alone once in a while to take in everything around her. She was raised amongst technology, but the only information she had was the one Hydra permited. Both the boys were by the window, watching the rush of the city while sipping coffee casually.

"You have feels for her", Steve contested, not daring to eye his friend's reaction. It wasn't a question, and Bucky noticed it.

"Is not like that, punk..."

"Is **totally** like that, Bucky", he turned. "The way you look at her is the same way I used to look at Peggy". There was a hint of melancholy in his voice that made Bucky cringe and squeeze his mug tightly, he knew how Steve missed his girl. Both of them watched as Nora hopped her way back home with two huge bags, one in each arm. Bucky was a fairly reasonable man. Fairly. He tried keep his emotions at bay and often completely ignored them. But when it came to Nora... Well, he just couldn't. She had a big part in his life, still as a mere child, she was there for him at his worst. She had seen his worst only, and yet was good enough to like him innocently. He couldn't help the feeling of being at home around her.

"I've talked to T'challa recently", Steve admitted.

"The _cat_ guy?"

"The cat guy", the blonde mimicked, letting out a chuckle. "He was talking about how his younger sister would love to work on you. He said she can help taking Hydra from your head. Forever."

"At what cost?" Bucky questioned, sudden darkness falling to the brightness in his irises.

"You must stay in Wakanda for some time, for the treament. Like... therapy."

He felt the urge to accept the offer without even thinking about it. Something inside his mind screaming he would be a lot safer around Steve, Nora and others if he went to Wakanda. He wanted to accept it, but first, he needed to talk to his best girl, ask how she felt about it.

Nodding, he gave a hopeful look at his friend and turned when the door swung open. The small girl hidding behind the brown bags of groceries, almost tripping on her way to the kitchen. Bucky imediately rushed to her side to offer help and she greets him with the sweetest smile. The smiling fade away when she noticed his serious gaze downing at her. She knew him well enough to bring that together before he even speak.

"Something happened?" She asks. Bucky nods and let out a long sigh, a faint smile appears to ease her nerves. She felt her heart stop for a moment when he took her hands in his and started playing with her knuckles. Fingers slowly caressing her soft skin. She wanted to know what was that strange sensation in her tummy, like something was causing a havoc in her insides.

"There may be a way of getting rid of Hydra, take them out of my head", her face lit in hope and happines at his statement, but it soon washed over as he restarted to speak. "I gotta be far away for this, for a long time, maybe."

"Where?"

"Wakanda".

She nodded and stepped back, turning from him and tugging her own skirt between nervous fingers. She took a deep breath one, two, three times, and put a huge smile on her face as she turned back. 

"Anything for you to be happy", she dictated, a cold expression in her features as she tried to sound confident. 

He was happy, yet fear lingered there, lurking in his chest. He attached at her words for a moment and suddenly something in his head snapped. She didn't used any word in the meanings of healing. She didn't even thought he was broken at the first place. That conclusion made his chest heavy again, his heart started to pound intensily. How loving could she be?

Bucky catch the glimpse of what must have been a tear straming down her cheek before she whiped with the back of her hand, he instantly pushed her against him, embracing her until he could felt the sobbing and her shoulders bucking up against his arms. He tried to soothe her crying caressing long stripes across her back with his flesh hand.

" _Yankee?_ ", the mention at his old nickname made him chuckle. She didn't said his name or called him by his nickname since she came home with them.

"Yes, _ledyanaya printsessa?_ "

"I'll miss you. Please come back this time". She said, rising her face just for him to take a glimpse at her teary eyes. With his index finger, he swiped them away and smiled fondly, pressing his chin against the top of her head.

"You won't get rid of me easily, _printsessa_."  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> Yankee goes for outsider.   
> Ledyanaya printsessa goes for winter princess.


	3. Chapter III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Nora's relationship developed and he has a big surprise for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And again there's fluff.

Nora have choosed not being at the airport when Bucky was leaving, she couldn't take the sight of him going away one more time without knowing if he would ever comeback. She took him in her arms long enough to make them late for the flight, but none of them really gave a fuck about. He had found her three weeks ago and now he needed to leave her behind again. With a kiss pressed strongly to her forehead, he promised to get back home before she could even notice.

Both of them knew it was a lie.

The days went by normally. Nora ended up bonding even more with Steve now that they were alone in that apartment that seemed way to big only for the two of them. They talked about the past, about the books and movies they loved, about weather and about the new trends of the century. Yet, almost every night after the dinner, she asked him to dance with her. The act soothed her little heart. Steve had her back when she couldn't sleep or when she woke up screaming and panicking from nightmares. She told him about the dirty things they made to her in the middle of a crying fit, and that's when he realized how strong and brave she was. To live like she did, enclosured, abused and tortured, and yet be such a kind woman, with that infectious smile of hers. He deeply admired her.

They developed a kind of brotherhood, Steve was like her older brother, teaching her and mentoring her over the most random things. From dance moves to the storyline of Star Wars, a movie they marathoned together. But even with his new intimacy with her, he couldn't bring up the fact of what she felt towards Bucky. Whenever his name was mentioned, a sad wave washed her lopsided smile and she became deeply quiet. Even when she was smiling or being the little piece of sunshine, her eyes weren't the same without Bucky there to light them.

She was sitting on the couch, channel surfing trough the tv in their living room when Steve suddenly called her from behind. His smile was spread large across his face and he held a laptop.

"I got something for you, sweetheart", he said softly, getting closer. She liked the way with him there were no names to, but only endearing tags here and there. Sweetheart was her favorite. Setting the machine onto her legs, he took a step back with her confused eyes darting from him to the black screen facing her. "I'll leave you alone, _k_?"

The moment his door was shut loudly, the screen cleared and Nora almost screamed. Bucky's features softened while noticing her eyes lit up and how her hair was bigger. It has been a year or so, none of them had been counting on. Her chest was aching from happiness and her eyes immediately started to water, long thick drops of salty water running along her face. He was smiling. His hair way longer too, darker, a beard covered the lower half of his face. He was dressed in a red tunic and his prosthetic was nowhere to be seen. His surroundings, although clean, surely were very crowded with scientists running from one side to another.

"I missed you, _dorogoy_ ", he declared first, sinncerity spilling from his lips like honey to her ears. She would never be tired of the russian pet names.

"Hi", she stuttered back, suddenly nervous at his presence. She tried to fix her hair, the new haircut was kind of getting annoyingly in the way for some reason, as to make her more embarrassed. "When will you be back?"

Her question takes him for surprise. She always was absurdly open to him, like there was none filter between her brain and her tongue, yet, he faltered at it. He expected to drift her into small talk before this type of admission.

"I don't know, but Shuri is quite the biggest genius of this planet, you know?"

Nora giggled, wiping her tears to see him better.

"Stop trying to win me over, you're not getting ice cream today!" A feminine yet terribly annoyed voice echoed from the background, making a loud laugh bubble out of his chest. It was the best sound he ever heard. "Is that the chick you won't shut up about it?"

"The one and only, come say hi to her".

"Hello there", a young girl's head popped at the top corner. Her hair was braided with golden adornments and pushed up back into a bun. She was adorable and everything in her face screamed fierceness.

"Are you the genius?" Nora joked, waving her hand shyly at the girl on the other side of the screen.

"Yep, I'm fixing your hundred year old man, don't worry".

"Thank you, Shuri". A sudden seriousness downed upon her features and Shuri put up with it, smiling professionally at her and nodding before waving a quick goodbye and turning back to her work. "I miss dancing with you", she confided, earning an open wide grin from him.

"I missed you late-night bedtime stories".

"Go get a room you two, geez!" The voice comes loud from his right. A pink flush takes over Nora's cheeks and start to go tomato-red as Bucky's still lingering his gaze on her delicate features. Both of them laugh on it and they keep chatting for that little amount of time. Bucky tells her about his new routine, taking her of his goats and getting along with the wakandian kids. He always had a way with kids. She told him about her new haircut and how she felt knowing so much from Steve's life as an avenger, on how you came to cross paths with him that day he left and she never saw him until later. They both laughed and smiled at each other, she was already longing for him, but it was time to say goodbye after almost two hours passed.

"Steve is teaching me how to dance", she pointed out, glancing at the her nails.

"You gotta show me those new moves soon enough then, doll".

"It's a deal".

"I miss you", he says one more time.

"Be back already", she plays off with a trembling smile.

"See you soon, _dorogoy_ ".

Once the laptop was shut down by her shivering hands, she let out the real fit of crying that she was holding back so he wouldn't be worried. Her whole body trembled as she put the computer down and hugged her torso, rocking back and forth with her head buried down. Steve appeared in the doorframe of his room, he stood there with those sweet eyes looking at her with understanding.

"Nora?"

At the call of her name, she got up and rushed towards him, throwing herself in his arms while sobbing uncontrollably. "I miss him so much, Stevie", she cried out.

"I know, sweetheart, I know", he ran his fingers trough her hair while holding her tight. "I miss him too".

After picking her up, he walked towards the couch again and sit down with her all wrapped in him. He let her cry out her longing and the flush of weird feels she had been having since he was gone. It wasn't the same, and he was okay with it.

"Nora, I'm going to Wakanda next week to meet up with T'Challa. He said is important". She looks up at him. Puffy wet eyes, red spreading around her nose and cheeks.

"W-what?"

"We are going to see Bucky, sweetheart. But he still doesn't know". 


End file.
